Toothbrush



Dec. 4,1923. H 2 3,476,579

H. BARNES I'OOTHBRUSH Filed May '27, 1918 fizz/22202 4 4 g 7 M PatentedDec. 4, i923.

MNE EEE STATEfi HENRY BARNES, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TOOTHBRUSH.

Application filed May 27,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BARNES, a citizen of the United States,residing at No. 600 Schofield Bldg, city of Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Toothbrushes, of which the following is a specification, theprinciple of the invention being herein explained and the best mode inwhich I have contemplated applying that principle so as to distinguishit from other inventions.

My invention pertains to a tooth brush and more particularly to what Iterm a lingual brush because intended to be used against those toothsurfaces which can be reached by the tongue when the teeth are closed.

I have discovered that the bristles should project substantiallyparallel to the handle and preferably from a gently curved supportingmember as shown.

The bristles are to be laid lengthwise upon the gums over the apicalregion and drawn over the gums and teeth to the occlusal surfaces. Inbrushing about the curve of the typodout arch, the brush itself must beprogressively turned in the fingers in conformity to the curves of thearch. The bristles act both as a gum and tooth cleanser and as a gummassage when a' stroke is imparted from the region of the apices orroots of the teeth to the occlusal surfaces or tips of the teeth. Duringthe return stroke, the bristles need not lose contact with thetissuesthey slide back obliquely to the commencing position without anyother action than that of a gentle gum massage. The accompanyingsqueezing action on the gums stimulates circulation thus permitting thehealing of the gums and adjacent tissue by a natural process. Thisstimulation is without irritation 'and hastens re-establishment ofhealthy gum of Figure I.

Figure V is a view showing how the brush is to be applied to the-lingualregion of the mouth.

M-v brush has a gently curved handle 1 1918. Serial No. 236,738.

with a curved finger rest extremity 2 provided with a hole 3 by means ofwhich it may be suspended from a small hook when not in use. The otherend 4 is inversely curved, substantially at right angles to the body ofthe handle, but as is clearly shown in Figure I less sharply so toterminate at a rounded extremity 5. It is this end of the brush whichsupports the bristles 6. These latter are so imbedded in the concaveside of the end 4 as to project substantially parallel to the generaldirection of the length of the handle 1. The bristles 6 are moreoverpreferably located as close to the extremity 5 as the manner ofordinarily securing them makes feasible. In order to facilitate propermanipulation of the brush I have discovered that the bristle supportingend 4 should extend from the handle at an angle of less than 90 andpreferably at an angle which, if established by a line passing throughits extremity 5 and the point of departure of the end 4 from the handle1, would be substantially A single cross row of bristle clusters ortufts has proven entirely satisfactory and the middle cluster ispreferably somewhat shorter than the two end clusters as may be clearlyseen in Figure III. Together, the tufts of bristles form a body ofbristles having its greatest dimension transverse and substantiallyequal to the width of the handle. With such an arrangement the lingualsurface of each tooth may be separately brushed, the two longer endclusters being purposed to project through the interstices while theshorter middle cluster spreads over the tooth, during operation by anendwisemovement in the direction of the length of the handle.

'I claim i A tooth brush comprising a handle having a brush-carrying endextending transversely to the body of the handle, tufts of bristlesmounted in said end and projecting therefrom approximately parallel withthe body of the handle and toward the opposite end thereof, said tuftsof bristles forming together a body of bristles having ,its greatestdimension measured in the direction of the width of the handle andadapted to operate by an endwise movement in the direction of the lengthof the handle in cleansing the inner or lingual surfaces of the teeth.

Signed by me, this 23rd day of May, 1918.

HENRY BARNES.

